Transfer Rumor: BVB Interested in Mehdi Benatia

With club football over and the World Cup still two weeks away, transfer rumor season is in full swing. Today’s rumor comes from a bunch of sources in the English and German Media. SportBild and the Mirror are reporting that Borussia Dortmund are interested in signing Juventus center back Mehdi Benatia.

Dortmund fans might remember Mehdi Benatia from his time with Bayern Munich, when he helped anchor Pep Guardiola’s record breaking 2015-16 squad. He then moved to Juventus in the summer of 2016, where he played backup for the likes of Chiellini and Barzagli. While he’s a little past his prime at the age of 31, he’s a veteran CB who has experience at the highest level.

Unfortunately, the Mirror is reporting that Arsenal and Marseille are also in pursuit of the Moroccan defender.

These rumors are strange at a couple levels. First, their “sources” are untrustworthy, mostly La Gazetto and The Sun. Also, given the fact that Arsenal are apparently close to signing Sokratis, it seems a bit strange that they would be interested in Benatia as well. It also seems like an unlikely transfer for BVB. Signing 31 years old overpriced CBs is not Zorc’s Modus Operandi, especially when BVB are interested in much younger Mainz defender Abdou Diallo. Of all the rumors we’ve heard, this one is probably on the lower end of likelihood.

Let the rumor mill roll on!